Medical experts in Tampa Bay concerned vaccine fatigue will cause outbreaks
TAMPA, Fla. - Doctors in Tampa Bay are worried about vaccine fatigue, as patients decide whether to get their recommended COVID-19, flu and RSV shots.
The latest COVID vaccine, which targets the most recent variant, is now available to the public, but a lot of people aren't sure whether they want to get it.
"I got the COVID vaccine [and was] sicker than a dog," said Elaine Kowalczyk of Largo. "Then I had COVID again after my shots I didn't have one single symptom. So I'm not getting another vaccine."
"Why are we taking more boosters? So I believe a lot of people are just reluctant at this point in time," added Tramaine Robinson, who was visiting Tampa.
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If the statistics from the previous booster in the spring are any indication, most patients might pass on the latest COVID vaccine.
According to the CDC, as of May, only 17 percent of the entire U.S. population received the last COVID booster. In Florida, just 11 percent of the population got the shot.
USF Health Dr. Thomas Unnasch explained why most experts advise against going unprotected against the virus.
"You may survive the infection, but you may have long term consequences that make your life pretty darn miserable. And we even have a term for that now, which is 'long COVID,'" Unnasch said.
Unnasch is among the doctors who worry vaccine fatigue or hesitancy will spread to vaccinations for the flu and RSV, the latter of which is typically advised for older and younger populations.
"If you have lower numbers of people who are going to get vaccinated, it's going to pretty much follow that we're going to actually probably see some pretty large outbreaks of influenza and COVID during this sort this upcoming winter period," Unnasch said, adding his advice is to get the flu and COVID vaccines during the same visit.
"[In] the right arm, you'll get your flu vaccine, the left arm, you'll get your COVID vaccine, and you'll go home, and you'll feel crappy for a day, maybe get a little under the weather, and then you're going to be protected for a year," continued Unnasch.